Introduction: multilingualism and education: the critical nexus

Martin C Njoroge,Ruth W Ndung’U,Phyllis W Mwangi,Daniel O Orwenjo

doi:10.1186/s13616-014-0010-5

Martin C Njoroge, Ruth W Ndung’U + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13616-014-0010-5

Copy DOI

Journal: Multilingual Education	Publication Date: Aug 19, 2014
Citations: 1	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Kenyatta University

Abstract

AbstractNo abstract

Highlights

This special thematic issue of Multilingual Education under the header, “Multilingualism and Education in Africa” journal focuses on practices and challenges that relate to multilingualism and education in the African continent
While there are many factors involved in delivering quality basic education, language is clearly the key to communication and understanding in the classroom. It is a linguistic and societal reality that many developing countries are characterized by individual as well as societal multilingualism, yet a majority of multilingual societies in Africa continue to experience and even propagate a paradoxical situation in which a single foreign language is allowed to dominate in the education sector
The present volume takes stock of such policy shifts, experiments and proposals from an African perspective by looking at how various countries have attempted to introduce multilingual education in their respective education systems, the challenges that such attempts have encountered, and how such challenges have been addressed. This special series presents a valuable resource for best practices and how other attempts that have not done so well can borrow from such practices. This is because the twin issues of multilingualism and education, especially with regard to basic and primary education, are so central to the development of the child that they transcend the educational context to other spheres of life, such as human rights

Summary

Introduction

This special thematic issue of Multilingual Education under the header, “Multilingualism and Education in Africa” journal focuses on practices and challenges that relate to multilingualism and education in the African continent. Post-colonial countries took diverse, sometimes contradictory routes in drawing up language in education policies to guide their educational systems.

Results

Conclusion